Premier Division- The Run In

**jinxy lilywhite** · 23/09/2013, 9:01 PM

it aint over yet.

there is still plenty of football to be played and twists and turns along the way.

in my time as a dfc fan I can never remember an easy league win in even the premier or the first. most of them went to the last day.

its out of our control. our objective is easy and that's to win all of our remaining matches starting with Limerick on Friday to be in with a chance of winning the league. we could be 6 points behind before a ball is kicked but that's up to pats to see their job through.

3 point gaps have been overturned in shorter spaces of time so I would go counting my chickens before they hatch.

**danthesaint** · 24/09/2013, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by jinxy lilywhite

it aint over yet.

there is still plenty of football to be played and twists and turns along the way.

in my time as a dfc fan I can never remember an easy league win in even the premier or the first. most of them went to the last day.

its out of our control. our objective is easy and that's to win all of our remaining matches starting with Limerick on Friday to be in with a chance of winning the league. we could be 6 points behind before a ball is kicked but that's up to pats to see their job through.

3 point gaps have been overturned in shorter spaces of time so I would go counting my chickens before they hatch.

Thats it, i think the LOI is one of the hardest league in Europe to predict, on a day anyone can take points off each other.

**PartySaint** · 24/09/2013, 7:35 PM

Dundalk could be top come Monday night, still a long way to go.

**legendz** · 24/09/2013, 10:14 PM

Congrats to Limerick on their win tonight!

**Jofspring** · 24/09/2013, 10:31 PM

I think we will give Dundalk a good rattle on Friday night.

We have been very poor defensively against them in the 3 games so far this season but Oji has really tightened us up at the back with all 4 players at the back full of confidence at the moment. We have scored 8 goals against Dundalk also over the 3 games, our defense being our downfall.

With that seemingly corrected though, if we can stay tight at the back, I wouldn't be surprised to see us pick up a result in Oriel.

On the match tonight: We put in a similar performance to the Pats game but are growing more solid at the back as the games pass by.

We came at rovers hard for the first 10 to 15 and it seemed a few of their players didn't want to be there after that. It was like some thought they could just turn on the performance when it suited them and tried in fits and starts. The fans supposedly booed Croly as he left the pitch but to be honest it looks more like a clear out of a few players is needed rather than blaming the manager.

2 separate managers, Stephen Kenny and Trevor Croly, one of whom has done well at other clubs and the other who is very highly rated amongst players in the league have been blamed for performances. I think its the players the Rovers fans need to look at as much as anything.

The team that wanted it more and that were hungrier won it tonight.

**Lim till i die** · 25/09/2013, 1:27 AM

Can probably rule Shamrock Rovers out of the title race, they'll find it very hard after tonight.

So much wasted talent on show, there's something really off about them, absolutely no spark despite dripping quality.

Hows Chambers been doing this year?? Always thought he was class would love him at Limerick but its like he has nothin to do, quigley and zayed were just kind of strolling around shrugging their shoulders, the full backs had o connor and sheppard in their pockets.

Your man Elebert the centre half who, letting the stage get to him, thought he was an out half gave an exhibition of touch finding that Ronan O Gara would have been proud of.

In short, whats gone wrong at Shamrock Rovers?? Is it just a simple case of the dressing room being poison??

**Dalymountrower** · 25/09/2013, 10:25 AM

Rovers clearly on the p**s after the Drogs match on saturday, some players who shall remain nameless also on the tear after the Dubs win.
Very surprised that Limerick are safe from involvement in a relegation battle now, as they looked to me to be bottom three material anytime I saw them play.

**Jofspring** · 25/09/2013, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by Dalymountrower

Rovers clearly on the p**s after the Drogs match on saturday, some players who shall remain nameless also on the tear after the Dubs win.
Very surprised that Limerick are safe from involvement in a relegation battle now, as they looked to me to be bottom three material anytime I saw them play.

As said above our main problem was defense all season. We have had to chop and change the back 4 all season and play lads out of position to accommodate it. Only for Barry Ryan we probably would be in a relegation battle. That then flows right through to the rest of the team. There is also a lot more hunger in the performances. We were never a very bad team, just a decrent team playing very bad.

According to a lad last night who knows Richie Ryan the team weren't on the **** after the final. I'd presume a few were though.

**mcgonigle** · 25/09/2013, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by Jofspring

As said above our main problem was defense all season. We have had to chop and change the back 4 all season and play lads out of position to accommodate it. Only for Barry Ryan we probably would be in a relegation battle. That then flows right through to the rest of the team. There is also a lot more hunger in the performances. We were never a very bad team, just a decrent team playing very bad.

According to a lad last night who knows Richie Ryan the team weren't on the **** after the final. I'd presume a few were though.

My eyes must have been playing tricks on me on Saturday night so!

**NeverFeltBetter** · 25/09/2013, 12:15 PM

Honestly, since most of Limerick's remaining games are against teams that are actually in a relegation battle, I can really see the club finishing above Drogs and Cork if they keep up the good defensive work. Which would be amazing for a team just back in the PD.

**mypost** · 25/09/2013, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by Jofspring

2 separate managers, Stephen Kenny and Trevor Croly, one of whom has done well at other clubs and the other who is very highly rated amongst players in the league have been blamed for performances. I think its the players the Rovers fans need to look at as much as anything.

The team that wanted it more and that were hungrier won it tonight.

"Done well" is relative. Kenny has got one league title, in a 27-game season. His best performing competition since then is the League Cup. When the chips were down last week, he failed miserably at the task of trying to win the league, as he has at Rovers and elsewhere.

Croly is our version of Staunton. He has everything he needs to be a success, yet he can't finish higher than mid-table 20 points off the pace in a very weak league. Mid-table may be accepted at some clubs, and some may go as far to say they did well, but it isn't and won't be accepted at Rovers. It's either first or failure.

**oriel** · 25/09/2013, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by danthesaint

Thats it, i think the LOI is one of the hardest league in Europe to predict, on a day anyone can take points off each other.

Exactly, and you can bet Bohs wouldn't have considered picking up anything less than 3 points away to already relegated Galway, with the home side having nothing but pride to play fo back in the 2010 league run in. They lost 3-2 and would finish second to Rovers (on GD)

Bray on the other hand really need a result for themsevles tomorrow night.

**oriel** · 25/09/2013, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by mypost

"Done well" is relative. Kenny has got one league title, in a 27-game season. His best performing competition since then is the League Cup. When the chips were down last week, he failed miserably at the task of trying to win the league, as he has at Rovers and elsewhere.

I really think this is very harsh on Kenny, and you really need to 'let it go' re his time with Rovers. It just didn't work out, but bear in mind he had more points on board at the same games played that Croly has this season, when he left.

**dejadem** · 25/09/2013, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by mypost

Mid-table may be accepted at some clubs, and some may go as far to say they did well, but it isn't and won't be accepted at Rovers. It's either first or failure.

It wouldn't be acceptable at any club with the squad you have.

**Dodge** · 25/09/2013, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by Lim till i die

Can probably rule Shamrock Rovers out of the title race, they'll find it very hard after tonight.

So much wasted talent on show, there's something really off about them, absolutely no spark despite dripping quality.

Hows Chambers been doing this year?? Always thought he was class would love him at Limerick but its like he has nothin to do,

First of all. Wrong thread

and B) Chambers is a slow fat crab. He's clearly a fine footballer but in the role he plays for Rovers (and it was the same last year for Pats) he makes 90% of his passes to full backs. He doesn't have the drive that players like Bolger and Ryan (the lads who've replaced him at Pats and Rovers) to push on with the ball and occasionally not take the easy option. Chambers was grand for Pats last year, but he slows everything down. Bolger is far superior in that role and Pats are much better because of it (and I thnk that applies to Ryan and Rovers too)

Oh and iii) Rovers squad, as deep as it is, isn't packed solid with top class LOI players. Plenty of regular starters are no better than average/slightly-above-average LOI players (Sullivan, Powell, Foran, Robinson etc). They have loads of players, but their first XI isn't as good as some apparently think

**mcgonigle** · 25/09/2013, 1:20 PM

Originally Posted by mypost

"Done well" is relative. Kenny has got one league title, in a 27-game season. His best performing competition since then is the League Cup. When the chips were down last week, he failed miserably at the task of trying to win the league, as he has at Rovers and elsewhere.

Croly is our version of Staunton. He has everything he needs to be a success, yet he can't finish higher than mid-table 20 points off the pace in a very weak league. Mid-table may be accepted at some clubs, and some may go as far to say they did well, but it isn't and won't be accepted at Rovers. It's either first or failure.

Nobody won the league last week! Kenny put the best team available to him out and they didn't perform, it happens. If we go on to challenge Pats until the last week then I would say that it far from failing miserably for a team expected to finish mid-table at best!

**dundalkfc10** · 25/09/2013, 5:07 PM

[QUOTE=Dodge;1712276]First of all. Wrong thread

and B) Chambers is a slow fat crab. He's clearly a fine footballer but in the role he plays for Rovers (and it was the same last year for Pats) he makes 90% of his passes to full backs. He doesn't have the drive that players like Bolger and Ryan (the lads who've replaced him at Pats and Rovers) to push on with the ball and occasionally not take the easy option. Chambers was grand for Pats last year, but he slows everything down. Bolger is far superior in that role and Pats are much better because of it (and I thnk that applies to Ryan and Rovers too)

Oh and iii) Rovers squad, as deep as it is, isn't packed solid with top class LOI players. Plenty of regular starters are no better than average/slightly-above-average LOI players (Sullivan, Powell, Foran, Robinson etc). They have loads of players, but their first XI isn't as good as some apparently think[/QUOTE]

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